The Election Commission of Maldives (ECM) has initiated a critical training programme to prepare thousands of officials for the upcoming Local Council and Women’s Development Committee elections scheduled for 4 April.
In the initial phase, ECM has launched a "Training of Trainers" program to equip over 100 master trainers, who will then be responsible for instructing around 7,000 polling station officials across the Maldives and abroad.
The training programme for the trainers is being held from the 3 to 9 January. Following its completion, the large-scale training for the 7,000-strong electoral workforce is set to commence on 11 January, with sessions in the Male’ area starting on 15 January.
Speaking at the launch ceremony, ECM Chairman Mohamed Zahid emphasised that the training is a fundamental part of the ECM’s preparations to uphold the electoral process as mandated by law.
He assured that ECM would conduct the elections in strict accordance with existing procedures. He clarified that while legal amendments might alter certain procedural details, the core administrative functions of the polling stations would remain unchanged.
The intensive one-week training programme is designed to provide officials with vital information on their duties. This includes instructing voters, managing the polling process efficiently, and ensuring all procedures are followed correctly on election day. The ECM has also noted that an additional 100 administrative staff are required to support the extensive election operation.